


Growing Older

by thecurlyginger



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Gen, manly bonding time, spoilers for the end of series 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-23
Updated: 2013-03-23
Packaged: 2017-12-06 04:52:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/731630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecurlyginger/pseuds/thecurlyginger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur, Martin, and Douglas partake in some manly bonding time. A slightly funny, slightly reflective response to the cliffhanger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Growing Older

“Does this feel uncomfortable to you?”

“Well, the seats _could_ use reupholstering.” Martin didn't have to look at Douglas' face to know a sarcastic smirk graced it.

Instead, he downshifted the Icarus Removals van so that it'd push its way uphill. “You know that's not what I meant.”

“Arthur's been planning this 'manly bonding time' for days now. Unless of course you feel inadequate in my manly presence.” Douglas pointed to the left. “The van'll fit over there.”

As he busied himself parallel parking under Douglas' seemingly judgmental gaze, he sighed. “We don't spend time with each other outside of work. Isn't this awkward?” Satisfied, he turned off the engine and moved to get out with Douglas following suit.

“If it isn't already, I'm sure it will be with you thinking like this. C'mon Martin, let your hair, at least what's left of it, loose.” Before Martin could make a flustered retort, Douglas rang the doorbell to the massive Shappey residence. As if Arthur had been waiting with bated breath by the door, it opened instantly to his massive grin.

“Hello, chaps!” The steward in question stood before them wrapped only in a towel but showed no signs of having been in the middle of toweling off. “The sauna's just about heated through.” He gestured that they should enter and closed the door behind them.

“Erm, sauna?” Martin fidgeted slightly.

Arthur led the way through the foyer, grandiose in size but notably lacking in furniture. “Yeah! Don't worry about not having towels or anything - we've got plenty of those and a washroom by the gym you can change in.” After a long and complicated walk through hallways that were alone larger than Martin's attic, they made it to their destination.

The gym comprised of a treadmill, weights, and sauna with a television and stereo system. “Dad liked staying fit, so he insisted having all this. Isn't it brilliant?” Sparing no time in waiting for a response, Arthur opened a cupboard along the wall and grabbed towels for his guests. “The washroom's the next door on the right.”

“Thank you, Arthur.” Douglas took his towel and went to change first, leaving Martin to marvel at this extravagant room. He'd never been able to afford a gym membership and never known anyone with their own private workout room. He touched the face of the treadmill in awe.

“It's not state-of-the-art,” Arthur said, breaking Martin's reprieve, “but Mum thought it'd be worth it to keep it and not sell it like the rest of the stuff Dad left here. We use it sometimes when we get the chance, but I've always wanted to use the sauna with a bunch of men, just like in the movies!”

“Arthur, can I ask why you decided to invite us over now?”

He shrugged. “Mum's out of town for the week to look at places with Herc in Zurich, and--”

“Carolyn's moving in with Herc?” Had Martin been wearing his captain's hat, his eyebrows would have risen well up to the brim.

Arthur rose a finger in a gesture identical to his mother's. “Oh _no_ , she made sure to say she's only there to make sure he doesn't buy something too fancy for himself.” He noticed Martin looking at the gym incredulously. “Mum actually hates this place. Says it's too big for just us, but if she sells it she thinks that'll be letting Dad win.”

Humming, Martin looked toward the washroom to see if Douglas was done yet. “Actually,” he began in a slightly hushed tone, “I meant why are we doing this _now_? We've known each other for a while, and... and I think we've been at least friendly... but what's the occasion?” Arthur's face fell slightly as he prepared a response, but Douglas saved him by waltzing in in his towel, carrying his folded clothing.

“All yours, Martin,” he drawled, making sure to give him a pointed look that Arthur couldn't see.

Martin grabbed his towel with furrowed eyebrows.

* * *

 

“ _Ahhhh_ ,” Arthur reclined, letting the steam wash over him as Douglas folded his two hands behind his head and Martin, having never been in a sauna before, fumbled to find a comfortable position before settling his arms at his side and ignoring Douglas' smug look. “This is brilliant. Us men, relaxing the way men do, being manly.”

There was a moment of silence.

Arthur slumped forward. “What do men talk about in the sauna?” Both he and Martin looked over to Douglas.

“Work, women...”

“The dames,” Arthur grinned. Another moment of silence passed. “Anyone have any tales about those mysterious dames?”

Martin rolled his neck around, feeling the sweat dripping down. “Didn't you just go on a date last week, Arthur?”

“Oh,” Arthur shrugged, “yeah, I did.”

“And...?” Douglas pried.

Sitting back, Arthur played with a loose fringe on his towel. “She was nice. She had these little freckles on the tops of her cheeks.”

Martin and Douglas waited to hear more but nothing else came. “When you say it in the past tense like that,” Douglas began finally, “it makes it sound like she's dead. Did it go so poorly that you decided a murder might spruce up your evening?”

“Murder? Oh no,” Arthur insisted, laughing awkwardly, “but I don't think I'll be seeing her again. I just don't know how to impress someone on the first date.”

“You've had other girlfriends before...” Martin offered.

“Mum says they liked me because they thought I had money. I can't give them anything now! I don't even bring them back home because it looks like we're moving out.”

Douglas pitied Arthur's state, but Martin didn't pick up on the cue. “Maybe you are... Carolyn's always been standoffish when it comes to her relationship to Herc, but what if she does move in with him? Will you join them?”

Over Arthur's head, Douglas gave Martin a warning look, but between them, Arthur remained oblivious. “Mum said the only way she'd move is if MJN actually closed.” Guilty, Martin nodded in acknowledgement but didn't press further.

“I'll never be one to point out my wrinkles, but I'm starting to resemble a prune.” Douglas stood up, stretching to crack his back. “What's next on our manly agenda, Arthur?”

* * *

 

Though Arthur insisted that there were multiple showers and that the water heater could manage, Douglas pointedly asserted that they all should just rinse off after one another in the shower closest to the gym so they don't drip sweat all over the house. He nearly pushed Arthur into the washroom so that he could take Martin aside.

“Martin, I always took you for a clot, but now you've managed to reach the achievement of _clottiest clot to have ever clotted._ ”

Looking more reddened from the heat of the sauna, Martin resembled a tomato, making the build-up to his outburst ever more amusing to Douglas. “Since when did you baby Arthur and voluntarily spend time with him?”

“Since Arthur realizes that MJN is a sinking ship. He's trying to spend some time with us before you leave and he's on his own.”

“How does he know I was offered the Swiss Air job?”

A tense moment passed before Martin buried his face in his hands at the realization that he just blew his biggest secret.

“He _doesn't_ and neither did _I_.”

Martin groaned. “I'm not helping my case on the clot end, am I?”

“Not really, no. But let's face it, even if you didn't get the job, you would have realized by now you can apply elsewhere, and we'd be your references. Meanwhile, Herc is looking into moving and Carolyn is helping him under the facade of _not_ helping him. For someone who's lived with his mother for over three decades, that's a _bit_ of a change, don't you think?”

But before Martin could respond, Arthur stepped out of the shower. “Skip, d'you mind going up next? I need Douglas' help for some prep.” Martin slid by and grabbed his change of clothes.

“Don't worry, Martin,” said Douglas, “we won't have have all the _manly bonding time_ without you.”

Standing halfway in the washroom, Martin turned to Arthur, feeling awkward for still being in his towel. “Uhm, Arthur... I hope I didn't-- what am I saying? Of course I upset you earlier...”

“No, Skip. It's fine.” Arthur flashed him a quick smile before busying himself putting some laundry in the basket. When the door clicked shut and the sound of running water could be heard, Arthur finally let it out to Douglas. “Actually, it's not fine. If Mum leaves, I can't go live with her and Herc, can I?”

For once, Douglas held his tongue and took great care for his words. “You _could_ live with them. You and Herc get on well enough after all.”

“Oh, is this the part where I come to my own conclusion and say that I shouldn't move in with them? Because that's how it works on the telly, but it feels sorta rubbish now. Please don't tell this to Skip, but I kinda don't want him to get the job. I mean, I _do_ because that'll make him happy. But I _don't_ because that'll mean we don't get to fly Gerti together.”

“If Martin does get the job, though, and he goes to Swiss Air, you could talk Carolyn into moving with Herc to Zurich and you could all be together then. Or you could get your own place near the two of them. If you talk to Herc, he might be able to help you get work as a steward; you know he's impressed with you and your impossibly cheery disposition.”

The water turned off, ceasing Arthur's next thought. Before Martin could step out, he asked loudly, “So Douglas, you've mixed drinks before. What'll Skip like?”

Nodding at Arthur's attempt at a stealthy change of topic, Douglas played along. “A gin martini. Get some gin and vermouth along with some olives.”

Martin stepped out looking only pink now instead of flushed red, and Douglas went to rinse off, nodding at his captain on the way.

* * *

 

Seated at the bar were Martin and Douglas while Arthur toyed with being a bartender. When Martin's drink was placed in front of him, he took a sip. “Oh, that's... wow! That's actually _really_ good. How did you know I'd like a martini, Douglas?”

“I didn't,” Douglas paused to sip his tonic water, “I just couldn't resist the opportunity to give _Martin_ a _martini_.”

“That's so childish,” Martin complained, though with humour in his voice. Arthur meanwhile cleaned some glasses for the sake of feeling like a classic bartender while digging around to find the piña colada mix.

Reaching to pull out a straw for himself, Douglas shrugged. “The way I see it is that we can be as childish as we want so long as we grow up and take it in stride.”

“When I get a place of my own, will you teach me how to mix drinks, Douglas?” Arthur asked while guessing the ratio of rum to mix.

Douglas barked a laugh. “I'd better or else you'll be getting drunk way sooner than you'll intend to. Besides, ladies _love_ a man who mixes drinks for them.”

“Brilliant! And Skip?”

Martin looked up and stopped fishing for the olive in his drink. “Yes, Arthur?”

“When you get that fancy job at Swiss Air, you have to tell me how many otters you can fit on their plane.”

“And—And what if I don't get the job at Swiss Air?”

Arthur looked briefly at Douglas. “Nah, you're a shoe-in, Skip! You're sure to get it and you'll be stopping by for martinis and to talk about the dames with me and Douglas.”

“That sounds so promising, I'll have to accept the job if it's offered to me.” Martin inclined his head to Douglas, who nodded in return.

Arthur, taking a long swig of his drink and indicating the sheer amount of rum within by the squinting of his eyes, held it high up in the air. “To manly bonding!”

Martin held his up as well. “To manly bonding!”

“And to growing older but never growing up,” Douglas concluded.  

**Author's Note:**

> I was really affected by Arthur at the end of 4x06 when he tells Martin that getting the job is just what he wanted rather than "brilliant." It kind of hit me right in the gut because MJN is the most functional family Arthur's ever had, and it's all falling apart. Whoops, I just made myself sad again. I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
